During Thursday night’s live The Home Depot College Football Awards, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission announced University of Maryland Junior Brad Craddock as the winner of the 2014 National Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award.

"I’d like to thank the Palm Beach County Sports Commission for this honor,” said Craddock. “I am proud to be nominated this year along with Roberto and Josh, two very talented kickers. Winning this award means the world to me, and I thank everyone who has supported and believed in me.”

The University of Maryland has fielded a football team for 122 years and in 2014, Brad Craddock was a star on the first Terrapins team to play in the Big 10 Conference. The junior kicker ended the regular season with a nearly perfect stat sheet, connecting on 18 field goals in 19 attempts and is 41 for 41 on PATs. 9 of Craddock’s 18 field goals were from 40 yards or beyond. His 95 total points led his team in scoring. Craddock’s longest field goal of the year sailed through the uprights from 57 yards against Ohio St. Craddock was the key to success against two marquee Big 10 opponents. During a showdown at Penn St., Craddock hit a 43 yard game winning field goal to complete a come from behind victory for the Terps. His three field goals were the difference in a 23-16 victory in the inaugural Big 10 showdown against Michigan at Ann Arbor. No other FBS kicker, with more than 5 attempts, has made 100% of their field goals. Head coach, Randy Edsall, recruited Brad while he was playing soccer and Australian Rules Football at Tabor Christian College in Adelaide Australia. These sports helped develop Brad into the dynamic football kicker he is today.

Craddock beat out Florida State Sophomore Roberto Aguayo and West Virginia Sophomore Josh Lambert for the award. Lambert’s powerful leg aided him in connecting 4 field goals from beyond 50 yards and 11 more than 40 yards. Aguayo also had a great season making all of his 49 extra point attempts and 22 of his 24 field goal tries.

Craddock is the first kicker from the University of Maryland to ever win the Lou Groza Award in its 23 year history. The national panel of 750 voters is comprised of college football media, FBS coaches and SIDs, and previous Groza finalists.

About the National College Football Awards Association

The Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award (www.LouGrozaAward) is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official Web site, www.NCFAA.org.

About the Palm Beach County Sports Commission

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is a private, not-for-profit organization contracted by Palm Beach County to promote and market the County as a sports and sports tourism destination. The Commission brings sporting events and activities to the County, enhances economic impact, stimulates bed tax revenues (primarily in the off-season), and maximizes utilization of County facilities. The Commission offers a full range of event service support, corporate partnerships, sponsorships and a local membership program that support its goals. Local, regional, national and international marketing efforts are ongoing by the Commission with sports organizations and event owners. The Commission also produces sports-related programs for the residents of Palm Beach County including the annual Lou Groza Awards program, the Sports Hall of Fame and the Kids Fitness Festival For more information on the Palm Beach County Sports Commission go to www.PalmBeachSports.com.

Photos from this years banquet COMING SOON!

The video below is the announcement of the 2011 Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker winner during the Home Depot College Football Awards Show as broadcast live on national television on December 8, 2011. (Video supplied and used with permission of ESPN.)